The row on the alleged use of animal fat in 'prasadam' laddus offered at the Tirupati temple has angered saints in Ayodhya they were distributed during the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of the new Ram temple.
The chief priest of the temple Satendra Das said that he did not know how much 'prasadam' from Tirupati had come to Ayodhya. “That is something only the trust knows. However, it was distributed in prasad and in light of what we know now, it was very unfortunate”, he said.
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Mahant of the Dashrath Mahal, Devdraprasadacharya said, “Whatever has been happening in Tirupati is frightening. We can only beg for forgiveness on behalf of all true bhakts (devotees)”.
Many are of the view that such problems shall persist till the management of temples is not given to men of religion and that the government has no more than a supervisory role.
Mahanat Kamal Nayan Das, the successor of the Mairam Das Chavani, said, “In matters of faith, only those who have undertaken the required study and carried out rituals with utmost reverence can be trusted”.
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Swami Ramdineshacharya echoed the same sentiment. “Politicians and governments are blinded by power. Not only have they staked their claims to mandirs and mutts, but they want to have a say in every aspect of their running. The Tirupati incident is abhorrent and a proof of this brute power”.
A member of the Ram Mandir Trust said that some three lakh laddus had been received from the Tirupati temple. However, there has been no word from the Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai on whether or not any prasad was received from Tirupati and then distributed. It is to be noted that prasad from temples all over the country had been received in Ayodhya and distributed after the ceremony.